166 SPITSBERGEN chap, xi 



success we might attain could only be partial. This corner 

 was the critical point. What kind of a valley should we 

 find ? Poniable or not poniable ? Would there be a long 

 glacier to surmount ? — a high snow-field to cross ? Some 

 kind of a snow-pass we expected. Its position was the 

 important consideration. Every mile it lay farther east the 

 better, for we could push our base on, and thus diminish 

 the length of the final rush. Of course if you can start a 

 sledge on a smooth, gently sloping ice or snow sheet, and 

 the surface is in such condition that the runners will glide 

 over it, advance is easy. But our experience of Spitsbergen 

 snow-fields was utterly discouraging. The snout of no inland 

 glacier we had seen was at all easy of access. It would take 

 two days' hard work merely to hoist a sledge and its load 

 on to the foot of such glaciers, whilst a mile a day would be 

 rapid progress over such snow-fields, for men and ponies 

 could not have gone a yard. 



Suspense and keen curiosity were the predominant 

 partners in my mental condition as I hastened towards the 

 corner. Flights of fulmar petrels kept passing along, and 

 all turned up the valley. This, then, was their way to the 

 east coast. At last the intervening angle was turned, and the 

 desired view opened. It was a joyous surprise. The valley 

 was wider than we had dared to hope— the widest tributary 

 of the Sassendal— and it stretched away back to a distant 

 turning in a true line for Agardh Bay. Fully half our remain- 

 ing route was in sight, and no neve closed the prospect, whilst 

 only the snouts of side glaciers protruded on the sight. The 

 more of these the merrier, for the big torrent had to be 

 accounted for, and if it came from the valley's side, it had 

 not to be supplied at its head. Overjoyed, I turned back to 

 meet my friends. They were far behind. First came a 

 series of reindeer, preceding them like videttes, then, longo 

 intervallo, the phlegmatic Williamson with Bergen and one 



